Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, I congratulate you once again on your appointment to the illustrious position that you now hold. I rise tonight to update the House on a very important issue for my electorate. It is an issue which revolves around providing much-needed cancer services to South-West Victoria. As many in this House would have heard me speak previously on this issue, a local community group called Peter's Project started a campaign three years ago to bring cancer services to South-West Victoria. It has been at its heart a community campaign, started by the community, hoping to achieve for the community.

Initially, the Baillieu state government came on board by committing $5 million to the project. This was then added to at a subsequent election when they committed a further $10 million to the campaign. We have seen in the meantime, also, an Abbott-led government commit $10 million to this cause.

I was privileged to have the Hon. Peter Dutton, the shadow minister for health, come down during the election campaign and announce that if the coalition won the election it would commit $10 million to this worthy cause. Having won the election, I have been very pleased to see the minister in his first answer to a question in this House as the minister once again confirm that the Abbott will honour that commitment of $10 million and provide it to Peter's Project so that the integrated cancer care centre can be built in Warrnambool to service South-West Victoria and the south east of South Australia.

This is a significant development for our local communities in Wannon. It means that the tyranny of distance, the drive when you are diagnosed with cancer of having to go to Ballarat, having to go to Geelong, having to go to Melbourne, will become a thing of the past. We are talking about a turnaround in some cases of six or seven hours for people to be able to access these services currently. It means that people have to stay away from their families when they have been diagnosed with the most insidious of diseases. This is something which our community has fought for and this is something which I am determined and the Abbott government is determined to see realised.

The most impressive thing about this issue is how the community has fought for this service and how it has been prepared to dig into its own pocket. The community has said that it will raise $5 million to add to the $10 million that the Abbott government is putting towards this cause and the $15 million that the state government is putting towards it. For a community of this size to raise $5 million shows the generosity of the community but also shows their willingness to dig deep and to contribute as well. We are seeing the most remarkable types of fundraising. As I said before, we are seeing young girls who are turning eight saying to their classmates when they have a birthday, 'Please don't bring me a present, give to Peter's project to help the community fundraising effort.' We are seeing local cricket matches and local footy matches. We are seeing at funerals where people have died from cancer that people are being asked, 'Please don't give flowers, just give to this worthy cause.' Over $3 million in the last four months has already been raised by the community for this cause, with the target $5 million. I have no doubt that the community will reach that $5 million target and I have no doubt that it will be very proud south-west community the day that this integrated cancer care centre is built.